Active virtual laboratory at Internet as an effective tool for learning

Maxim V. Kazitov & Vladislav V. Nelayev

Belorussian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics

Minsk, Belarus

Abstract: At the
moment use of Internet virtual libraries and help database in electronic
forms already has become norm. Means of the network Internet are used all
more often at schools and universities in the educatuonal process. Such approach
is sutable almost perfectly for knowledge mastering in humanitarian disciplines,
but obviously it is unsufficient for the learning in the field of engineering
and physics. However nowadays there is a possibility to convert the Internet
as a learning tool from passive means into active through inserting of software
elements in Web-pages due to occurrence of the Java language. In these conditions
the pupil can receive access not only to an extensive library data, but also
to the newest software in the field of computer experiments and their visualization.

Such approach allows to not care of distinctions
in information technology components (software and hardware), used by the
various developers of the software. The modularity of the Java language facilitates
development of the projects by spatially shared teams of developers, as the
program can be distributed at the Hyperspice. The updating of the program
does not require its complete recompilation - the replacement of its separate
modules is necessary only. In the case of large databases it is possible
easily to pass from using of applets to CGI applications. Shown specified
features allow to consider virtual laboratories at the network Internet as
extremely attractive means for collective creation and application of the
software developed and used in various areas of a science and engineering
including interactive training systems and realization of computer experiments.

Introduction

The training, being a major sphere of human
activity, ensuring formation of intelligent potential of a society, is at
the moment in a rather difficult situation. It is connected with a constantly
deepening contradiction between traditional methods of training and constantly
accelerated rate of knowledge expansion. Volume of knowledge, necessary for
the person in a modern society, becomes all more extensive. This volume all
is updated faster. But the time, necessary for these knowledge mastering,
remains practically constant.

The marked contradiction has fundamental
character. Therefore attraction of new information technologies and means
are necessary for its solution [1,2]. Already five generations of computer
hardware and its updating were replaced on the life extent of one mankind
generation. And this process is continuous. One of the most stormly and dinamicly
developing areas of information technology is Internet [3,4]. Dynamic development
of this global network of knowledge in many respects coincides with dynamics
of knowledge development. And just international computer network Internet,
not aware of any borders, is the most logical candidate as the universal
tool for training and learning. Use of the network Internet allows to the
person constantly, on an extent of whole his life, to address to various
educational services. The training process at the Internet can take place
in remote regime, without a break of the basic activity of the person.

At the moment there is the set of virtual
libraries, clubs, help databases and so on at the network Internet. However
all of them are characterized by a relative passivity of the interface. Nowadays
there is a possibility to convert the Internet as a learning tool from passive
means into active through inserting of software elements in Web-pages due
to occurrence of the Java language [5]. In these conditions the pupil can
receive access not only to an extensive library data, but also to the newest
software in the field of computer experiments and their visualization.

We offer for discussion the idea of the
Active Virtual Educational Laboratory, use of which with possibilities of
the Java language will allow to the person not only to carry out search of
the information in the network Internet, but also to carry out the creative
educational activity, to adapt existing databases and software for own needs.
This virtual educational laboratory at the Internet should be a universal
means for training, developed, in particularly, skill of the person to learn.
The absence of direct contact with the teacher will help for the pupil to
be weakened and to open his creative potential fuller, will learn to his
independent work [6,7].

Structure of the active virtual educational laboratory

The active virtual educational laboratory
at the network Internet for active process of training should carry out the
following functions: to carry out computer experiments and to visualizite
their results, to provide access to a necessary database, to supplement and
to modify separate making databases of virtual laboratory and to carry out
the control of the gained knowledge. Fig. 1 presents the software and hardware
structure of the active virtual educational laboratory.

The interface part of the virtual laboratory should function in Hypertext regime.

The offered structure should provide not
only an opportunity of dialogue of developers among themselves, but also
is called to facilitate the sinhronization of works conducted by various
developers.

Technical featuries of the active virtual laboratory for learning

Still absolutely recently the alphanumerical
(X) terminals were quite suitable for organization of the user interface
with powerful computing systems. Nowadays all more often is required to the
users the graphic interface. The X-terminals for this purpose do not approach,
as essentially load the network and server. Object-oriented programming language
for www Java allows to redistribute loading between server and workplaces.
With occurrence of the Java language opportunities are given, firstly, to
ensure the creation of the graphic interface; secondly, to unload server
and, thirdly, to ensure the centralized management of the system. In spite
of the fact that nowadays there is no the uniform, generally accepted standard
for the Java language, this temporary lack can be removed by means of establishing
the own rules for the Java language using within the limits of the given
virtual laboratory.

The allocated computer complexes can be
built on the protocol HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) basis, which supports
the interface with CGI applications [8] on Web-servers and allows to ensure
an access to server computing resources from browsers [9]. The Java language
gives an opportunity to create the computing system even more allocated,
transferring a part of computing loading, which carries out Web-server, to
browser. In result there is a possibility to construct more flexible and
productive computing systems.

Thus the Internet-technology complemented
by opportunities, which are given by the Java language ideally approaches
for a role of the active interface with end-users. Thus main advantage of
the Java language is the opportunity to perform once written Java-programs
practically at any platform, that allows to keep the funds, invested in computer
software and hardware. If not to use the Java language, the client’s software
should be rewrite anew, including the software written on the language HTML
(HyperText Markup Language) [10,11]. Modularity of the Java language facilitates
development of the projects by large various remote groups of the designers,
as the program can be distributed in Hyperspace. The updating of the program
does not require its complete recompilation - the replacement of its separate
modules is necessary only. And in the case of large databases using it is
possible easily to proceed pass from use of applets to CGI (common gateway
interface) applications.

Java language components usually are established
on server of the local computer network. Java-classes are stored at server
also, and all loading of the programs written in the language Java, is carried
out with use of that server. When the user have own branches with the local
computer networks and its communication channels with the center are slow,
in each such network separate server is established, on which all Java-programs
are replicated from the central server automatically. At such execution the
fast and duly updating of the software is guaranteed. In so doing the modernization
of system is carried out automatically and is realized imperceptibly for
the end user.

However it is necessary to note, that use
of the Java language for the more serious purposes, than interface with the
user, many experts consider inefficient. One of arguments for the benefit
of it is an inefficiency of the mechanism of clearing of memory (garbage
collection) used by the Java language. If the C++ language is applied the
unused resource is released at once after an exit from the appropriate block
of the program. Bat if the Java language is applied it occurs with some delay
- while “the dust collector” will think, that the given resource is free.
In small systems (for example, in client’s programs) such “dust” almost on
anything does not influence. However when the speech goes about server’s
Java-programs, simultaneously serving a plenty of the users, volume of the
“dust” can achieve such scales, that it will block the work of all system.
In the client-server system the client establishes a communication session
with server and server allocates for it necessary resources. If the software,
installed on server, is written on the C++ language, after a communication
break server in an automatic mode causes special means - destructors, which
liberate resources reserved for the client resources. In the case of using
of the Java language the server’s resources are remained reserved and it
is completely unimportant for the user, when they will be exempted. The exemption
process of resources is imperceptible for the client and thus of hundred
users working with server, can reserve for itself (but it is not necessary
to use) rather large volume of memory.

Fig. 2 presents the block diagram of the
offered active educational virtual laboratory. Here the group of the designers
is a collective developing applets and having access to server, where are
stored applets. The members of this collective have an opportunity to update
as required, using communication on FTP. The user groups are incorporated
in local computer networks with servers, carrying out a role of the network
cash. Thus the individual user can be considered as a local network consisting
of one server.

The safety of the laboratory database represents
a separate technical task, which, basically, is solved, for example, with
use of language SHTML (Secure Hyper Text Markup Language) [12]. Other problems
connected with the data division between the separate users, different skill
level of the users and collisions between them could be solved in principle.

conclusion

Nowadays the Internet is the most popular
means of dialogue between the people. Thus the greatest development have
received communication and search means. But that does not allow to realize
of all potential opportunities of the Internet. The creation of the active
educational virtual laboratory will help to open new opportunities for the
Internet. This laboratory gives the possibilities to unify best experts for
the developing of the modern software for learning in different fields of
knowledge, especially in engineering and physics.

As a software base for the offered active
educational virtual laboratory at Internet may be considered the complex
of computer training programs for a microelectronics technology curriculum
[13-15] developed at Department of Microelectronics of Belorussian State
University of Informatics and Radioelectronics [16].

We hope that the paper will attract the
attention of colleagues. We also shall be grateful for improvement remarks
and suggestions for collaborations in creation and development of the offerd
active educational virtual laboratory at Internet.

ACNOWLEDGEMENTS

Authors acknowledge with thanks the useful
discussions and comments of professor W.Kuzmicz of Institute of Microelectronics
and Optoelectronics from Warsaw University of Technology in preparing this
work.

Shultz, D., The role of the Internet and the electronic library. Application of Computer Assisted Training Programs in Engineering Education. Ed.by Z.J.Pudlowski and R.G.Hadgraft. Melbourne 7-10 (1996).